Arthur Elwood Drumm (December 6, 1929 – May 26, 2014)[1] was an American inventor, environmentalist, military subcontractor, and industrialist of the modern street sweeping broom industry, as well as a publisher.
Arthur Elwood Drumm (December 6, 1929 – May 26, 2014)[1] was an American inventor, environmentalist, military subcontractor, and industrialist of the modern street sweeping broom industry, as well as a publisher.
Born in Marysville, Ohio, Arthur "Art" Drumm was one of 14 brothers and sisters; the son of Francis Drumm, of Bavarian origin, and Evelyn Warner. Raised during the Great Depression, Drumm worked on his father's farm from a very young age, graduated from Marysville High School in 1948, and then joined the Marine Corps. He achieved the rank of Staff sergeant before his discharge.[2] Stationed in San Francisco, Drumm met his wife, Roberta Bumpus, whom he married in Reno, Nevada in 1952.[3]
Returning home, Drumm would earn an apprenticeship in machinery, and would manage his own farm in Marysville until his 30s while raising his young daughters.[4]
Drumm would become involved in the industrial broom industry. Industrial brooms became an emerging conservation product in the 20th century as the world moved toward more environmentally-friendly practices. They remove harmful substances and pollutants from the roads that would otherwise drain off into vegetation and/or water sources, or be continually carried and pushed around by vehicles and other street traffic. They add longevity to asphalt through cleansing and preventing early decay. This in turn cuts down on the environmentally harmful practices of consistently paving and the manufacturing of toxic asphalt. They prevent flooding by collecting debris that would accumulate and block storm drains.[5][6]
In 1964, Drumm started Marysville Rotary Broom Service, Inc. in his machine shop, which was on the property of his home and farm. He would sell locally and regionally through "word of mouth." In the late 1960s he would develop a machine which made the manufacturing of wafer brooms cheaper and faster through a mechanical process, versus the old manual process.[7] This gave the business an advantage, and production increased dramatically.
By the 1970s, the company had become a notable player in the industry, selling nationally and worldwide. Drumm would obtain several more U.S. patents in the years to come, which included intellectual property for core mounting assemblies, sweeper brushes, rotary broom core assemblages, spiral brushes, and brush bristle units.[7][8] The machine shop Drumm had started in eventually would be transformed into a modern factory through additions and new construction during this period.
The company reached its pinnacle under Drumm by the mid-1980s. It was attracting attention from all over with various interests, including being featured on the local Columbus WBNS-TV evening news in a story about Reaganomics and the successful impact it was having locally on the economy with businesses.
For personal reasons, Drumm would let go of Marysville Rotary Broom Service, Inc., eventually being bought out in 1985 by Dick Savage. Kennedy Brush, Savage's other industrial broom manufacturing company, and Marysville Rotary Broom Service, Inc. would merge in 1990 to form United Rotary Brush.[9]
Shortly after he sold Marysville Rotary Broom Service, Inc., Drumm would start a new company, Drumm Industries, where he would manufacture push brooms for a short period until a no-compete contract would expire. In 1988 he would receive a patent for a push broom head of the channel-mounted bristle type.[7] He would then focus a considerable amount of time innovating a replaceable strip brush. This changed the whole process of manufacturing tube-brooms, as one tube could be recycled simply by replacing the brush through replaceable slide-on strips, versus the old method of wrapping the brush around the tube, welding it together, and shipping the tube back for a replacement wrap when it was worn out, or scrapping the tube altogether. Drumm would obtain several patents relating to the strip brush innovation.[7][10]
Drumm Industries would eventually be sold to Sweepster in 1999.
At the time of his passing in 2014, Drumm's real estate portfolio was valued at $1.1 million.[11][12][13] Through the years he owned 15785 U.S. 36, which was sold to form the original Marysville Wal-Mart shopping center, 337 Main St. in Russells Point, home to his Indian Lake Publishing company, a venture with his wife and daughter which published the Indian Lake Beacon, and written by her and his son-in-law Mark Beightler, as well 20078 St. Rt. 4, which is presently home to Mai Manufacturing.[14]
Following retirement, Drumm would spend time with his family traveling and at his home on Orchard Island, Ohio. He enjoyed feeding deer and squirrel.[2][3] Arthur Drumm died in 2014 in his hometown of Marysville on Memorial Day.[2]
His wife Roberta, died July 28, 2014, in Fayetteville, Georgia. They are survived by three daughters, six grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.[3]
In 2004 he was issued patent along with his son-in-law, which improved an auger boring device. This invention is celebrated as progress in the history cited in a patent obtained in 2007 by another individual. The "ground-breaking" product was part of a joint venture he became involved with called Custom Augers.[15]
The Drumm Family was honored by the Union County, OH Veterans Remembrance Committee on Veterans Day, 2008, where a ceremony was held at the Veterans Memorial in Marysville honoring the family's military service.[16] He was a member of the American Legion, Union Post 79.[2]